-(으)ㄴ 후에

Build it

When to use it

A stem ending in a vowel takes -ㄴ 후에 and the ㄴ tucks into the syllable: 가 becomes 간 후에. A consonant stem takes -은 후에: 먹 becomes 먹은 후에. Stems in ㄹ drop it: 만들다 gives 만든 후에.

The -(으)ㄴ here is the past modifier from the modifier system, which is why it already carries a completed sense. Adding 았/었 on top is wrong: 갔은 후에 does not exist.

후에 has close relatives you will meet immediately: 다음에 and 뒤에 mean the same thing and swap in freely. -고 나서 also translates as “after,” with a little more emphasis on finishing the first action before starting the second.

How to attach it

In use

1. 밥을 먹은 후에 산책했어요.

   I went for a walk after eating.

2. 수업이 끝난 후에 도서관에 가요.

   I go to the library after class ends.

3. 저녁을 만든 후에 설거지를 했어요.

   I did the dishes after making dinner.

4. 한국에 온 후에 친구가 많이 생겼어요.

   I’ve made a lot of friends since coming to Korea.

5. 회의가 끝난 다음에 이야기합시다.

   Let’s talk after the meeting.

6. 식사 후에 약을 드세요.

   Take the medicine after your meal.

Compared with

• -기 전에

  Same job in reverse, different machinery. “Before” is invariant -기; “after” changes shape with the stem. Drilling them together fixes the asymmetry in memory.

  먹기 전에  /  먹은 후에

• -고 나서

  Very close in meaning. -고 나서 stresses that the first action was completed and finished with; -(으)ㄴ 후에 simply places it earlier in time.

  숙제를 한 후에 놀아요.  /  숙제를 하고 나서 놀아요.

• -(으)ㄴ 지

  Also built on the past modifier, but it measures elapsed time rather than sequencing events.

  한국에 온 후에 (after coming)  /  한국에 온 지 3년 됐어요. (it’s been 3 years since)

Watch out

• 밥을 먹는 후에 산책했어요.

  밥을 먹은 후에 산책했어요.

  -는 is the present modifier and describes something ongoing. “After” needs the past modifier -(으)ㄴ.

• 저녁을 만들은 후에 쉬었어요.

  저녁을 만든 후에 쉬었어요.

  Stems ending in ㄹ drop it before -(으)ㄴ. The same happens in 산 후에 and 안 후에.

• 한국에 왔은 후에 친구가 생겼어요.

  한국에 온 후에 친구가 생겼어요.

  -(으)ㄴ already means the action is complete, so 았/었 is not added on top.

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